Tourniquet
by Xelaric the Nobody
Summary: tour·ni·quet: tərnəkət/ noun: A device for stopping the flow of blood through a vein or artery, typically by compressing a limb with a cord or tight bandage. Will was really fooling himself if he thought he could patch up this broken soul of a boy. However, nothing was impossible.
1. Chapter 1

All Will Solace wanted was a regular summer vacation before being sent off to medical school. Was that too much to ask for?

It started off as any normal summer vacation would. His parents let him stay in their little summer cabin near the Long Island sound, just so that he would get used to living on his own. Every other week or so, they would come to check up on him or call to see if their little boy was doing alright. Will would reassure them that he was doing just fine, and that no, mom, he didn't need them to stay with him for a little while.

It was normal until that one particularly cool night in mid-July. Will had been up late, binge watching lame cop shows and musicals. Never a show about both, however. That would be atrocious.

The blond had heard crashing and snapping just above the volume of the little TV in his living room. Will froze in place and slowly turned his head to look out the window. It was exactly 2:47 in the morning which meant it was just a shade lighter than endless void outside. Will really wasn't the type of guy to go waltzing around the forest at 2:50 a.m. That just screamed "every cliché horror movie ever" in his face.

But his curiosity got the better of him. Will paused the movie he had been watching and untangled himself from his blanket. When his bare feet hit the wood floor, he flinched the slightest bit; he wasn't expecting it to be cold.

The blond padded over to the lamp, switched it on, and proceeded to look for his hoodie, a flashlight, and his flip flops. When he located all three items, he walked up to his back door, peering outside into the darkness. Will tightly gripped the door knob, biting his lower lip.

"I am an adult," the blond whispered to himself. "I am mother freaking eighteen years old. I should not be scared of going into the woods...alone...at three o'clock in the morning..."

With a moment of hesitation, Will turned the knob and power walked out into the darkness, frantically turning on his flashlight. The smell of strawberries invaded his senses, as the fields down the road were solely for harvesting strawberries. The only sounds that were audible that early mid-July morning were the far off hissing of the ocean and the annoying clacking of Will's flip flops.

As the blond entered the forest, he swung his flashlight, and it landed on a broken branch, barely hanging on to its tree. Will shone the beam higher up on the tree with the same result; broken or missing branches. He shone the light on the trees surrounding the one that had been mangled, and they too had branches that had snapped or fallen.

Will's heart fluttered frantically in his chest. What the hell had broken all these branches? His curiosity was piqued, and yet at the same time he wanted to run back to his summer cabin and forget the whole thing.

But yet he willed himself forward, bracing himself for what he was about to encounter.

As Will rounded the corner on the little path, he was surprised to see a pair of combat boots. Those boots were attached to legs clad in grey skinny jeans, which in turn was attached to the torso and upper body of a boy about the same age as Will.

The guy looked like your average seventeen year old punk, minus the fact that a large pair of feathery wings were sprouting from his back.

Will dropped his flashlight, and it rolled a little ways away from his feet. After staring for a brief moment, he scrambled to grab the flashlight. When he steadied his shaking hand, he shone the flashlight on the boy before him.

He was clad in a torn black dress shirt, tattered grey skinny jeans, and intricate looking black combat boots with buckles and the like. Blood and dust covered the bare skin that Will could see through the tears of the boy's clothing. Scratches were also visible on the boy's face. Will then shone the beam of light on the boy's wings. One looked a little bent out of shape, and the feathers on both wings were matted with blood and dirt. Will could get over the fact that he had wings, but what was weird was that they were only partially white; they were like a gradient. They were black on top, shades of grey in the middle, and white at the bottom.

The blond shook his head to clear his thoughts. This boy needed medical attention. Lucky for him, he landed in the right forest. But before Will turned to grab some supplies from his cabin, he carefully picked his way around to the boy's head. Will slipped out of his hoodie, folded it, crouched down, and gently placed it under the boy's head.

Now that Will was closer to him, he could see dark circles under his closed eyes. His dark hair was in tangles, and framed the boy's face in an elegant sort of way, even if he was all banged up. Staring for just a moment longer, Will rose to his height and hurried back to the cabin to grab the first aid kit he kept in his bathroom. As soon as he located the kit, Will quickly made his way back to the winged boy.

When he had returned, he gasped. The boy's wings were now fully black, however he had not moved from his spot on the ground. Furrowing his brow, Will carefully picked his way around to the boy's head. The raven haired boy shifted in his unconsciousness, but otherwise showed no signs of waking up anytime soon.

Will set to work, carefully cleaning the torn skin on the boy's face, torso, and arms. The raven haired boy cringed and sometimes stirred when the alcohol was applied to his cuts, but he remained in unconsciousness.

To get better leverage, Will moved from behind the angel's head to his side, his knees just barely grazing the other's torn shirt. With shaking hands, the blond gently unbuttoned the scrappy remains of the boy's dusty dress shirt. Will carefully pulled the sleeves from his arms so that they could be properly treated.

The blond bit his lower lip as he got a better look at the angel's form. Sure, the boy was skinny, but if he looked closely, he could see the slight smoothness and roundness of developing muscles. His hips were sharp, his pants clinging to his frame.

Will let out a shuddering sigh. "Stop checking him out, stop checking him out," He muttered under his breath as he began to clean the cuts on the boy's arms. "You're trying to help him, not trying to seduce him..."

Suddenly, pressure was felt around the blond's wrist, and Will gasped as he realized it was the angel who had grabbed him. Surprised, Will dropped the cotton swab that had been in his hand. He looked at the angel's face, his blue eyes met with startled onyx eyes. The angel's eyes flickered between the blond and his surroundings, then back to Will. Will watched as the boy's features hardened, as if just realizing the amount of pain he was in. He started to curse under his breath, tears welling in his eyes.

"Hey, uh," Will started awkwardly. "Do ya think you could let go of my wrist?"

The boy's eyes flicked to Will and did as asked. His eyes screamed "Who the hell are you, and where the hell am I?" but the boy said nothing. Instead, he tried to sit up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Will eased the boy back down, pressing a hand lightly to his shoulder. The raven haired boy locked eyes with him, the panic starting to die from his gaze. "Settle down there, tiger."

"I was...they threw me out...I didn't..." The angel started to ramble utter nonsense, his chest heaving as he fought himself to breathe. Suddenly, he picked his head up and turned it, trying to look at his wings. In an effort to help, Will shone the flashlight on them. The boy's breathing only became more profound, and he placed a hand on his bare chest.

"No...I-I can't, I can't-" He shifted his gaze to Will, who sat in stunned silence. The angel cringed as he shifted again, his bent wing more than likely broken. He tried to catch his breath, but sobs wracked his small, pale frame.

The blond's eyes widened, his chest aching. This boy-this angel-had appeared from seemingly nowhere, injured and unconscious, and now he was sobbing in such a heart wrenching way. Will made to move closer to him, but the angel whipped away from his touch.

"Don't touch me." His voice was full of remorse and coldness. His onyx eyes bore into Will's blue gaze, and Will retracted his hand.

"If you don't mind me asking," Will started, swallowed nervously, and then continued. "What happened to you? And...I never got your name."

The angel dropped his intense gaze to the dirt below him. "My name? My name is...it's Nico. Nico di Angelo. And...I have been cast out of heaven for being enamored with a mere mortal."


	2. Chapter 2

Will stared at the angel, now named Nico, with a look of confusion and sympathy. He sat back on the heels of his feet, staring thoughtfully at the raven haired boy.

"You...you were thrown out of heaven? Because you fell in love with-whoa!" The blond caught Nico by the shoulder as he began to faint. Will shifted closer to him, slipping an arm under Nico's arms. "I need to get you back to my cabin before you pass out again."

"I don't need your help, mortal." Nico shoved Will away, causing the blond to fall backwards into a bush. Will regained his composure and sat up in time to see the angel trying to stand on his own. Before he could steadily rise to his feet however, Nico started to loose his balance. The blond hopped to his feet just in time to catch the angel in his arms.

"Please, just let me help you." Will offered Nico one of his dazzling smiles, and the dark haired boy huffed. "But you're going to have to help me with those wings of yours."

Nico slipped out of Will's grip, gently placing himself on the ground. "They can heal by themselves. It just takes time." At this, Nico gently flexed his wings out, wincing a bit as the bent wing extended. In an instant, the giant black, feathery wings shrunk into the angel's back, leaving little tufts of down where the wings had sprouted from. Will stood in stunned silence.

After a moment, Will held out a hand to the boy. He looked up at the blond, a scowl clear in his features. "Why do you want to help me? Are you some sort of healer?"

Without waiting any longer, Will grabbed Nico's hand, bringing him to his feet. "You could say that. Plus, I like helping people. It's gives me a sense of place."

Will slung Nico's arm across his shoulders, which was a little awkward since Will was quite a bit taller than the angel. He bent down to pick up the first aid kit.

To help keep Nico steady, the blond slipped an arm around his bare waist. Will's skin prickled at the touch and bit his lip to keep him from saying something stupid. Nico tensed under his touch, but didn't say a word. However, when Will looked up at Nico's face, he could've sworn that his face was flushed.

The struggle back to Will's cabin was silent and awkward. The blond opened the back door with his elbow and pushed it open with his hip. The angel stumbled, his eyelids drooping and heavy with exhaustion. His breathing was starting to come heavy with the effort to push himself.

"Hey, stay with me for another minute or two," Will urged him, half dragging Nico to the spare bedroom adjacent to the living area. He sat Nico down on the bed, and he immediately fell backwards, sighing in content. Will placed the kit next to Nico and popped it open.

"Does anything else hurt?" The blond turned to flip on the light. Doing so made Nico cringe and blink in rapid succession. He squeezed his eyes shut and then forced them open. Will turned to glance at him.

"Not really." Nico made a noise as he sat up again. He examined his bandaged arms and torso, felt at the bandaid on his cheek. He pursed his lips in a pout and mumbled. "I...I think you patched me up pretty well. F-for a mortal, anyways."

Will rolled his eyes. "I got a name, ya know. And it's Will. Will Solace."

"Will Solace." The blond bit his lower lip as the angel tried the name out. He looked at the wall to conceal the blush creeping up on his cheeks. "Will Solace..."

"Yeah, that's my name," the blond sighed and turned to his closet, pulling out a t-shirt and a hoodie. He slipped each article of clothing off of the hanger and tossed them to Nico.

"You can wear those for now although they might be a bit too big," Will said as he turned to hang up the hangers again. "I thought you might be cold."

Nico held the shirt in his hands, heat creeping up on his cheeks. After a moment of staring, he mumbled his thanks and slipped the shirt of his head, as well as the hoodie.

Will was at the threshold of the door, biting his lower lip as he looked at Nico. He dropped his gaze. "Y-you should get some rest. I'm sure you're exhausted. And maybe we could, uh...talk about what happened tomorrow?"

Nico turned his head so that he couldn't see the blond. "No. Not...not yet. But I think I will get some sleep."

"Alright. Good night, Nico."

With that, Will turned the lights out and closed the door behind him. Nico exhaled deeply, as he hadn't noticed he was holding his breath. He fell back so that his head hit the pillow, and he squeezed his eyes shut. The angel's heart fluttered in his chest. What was wrong with him?

Nothing comprehensible came to mind, as sleep was calling his name. He exhaled once more and was in the clutches of darkness.

Will awoke to the sound of rain.

He blinked his eyes opened slowly and looked to the window. Sure enough, fat rain drops distorted the world on the other side. Thunder could be heard in the distance, and lightning was sure to make its presence known soon.

The blond looked at the alarm clock that sat on his nighrstand. It was seven o'clock in the morning. He groaned, turned onto his other side, and tried to fall asleep again. However, his mind was too awake, and he knew he wouldn't be able to go to sleep again. Sighing, he kicked his legs over the edge of his mattress. Will yawned and stretched, his stiff muscles popping. He sighed in content and made his way towards the kitchen.

Will started up the coffee machine and yawned again. He walked over to the living room and turned on the television for background noise. He glanced over at the guest bedroom, but didn't hear anything.

Will tiptoed his way across the floor towards the closed door. He quietly cracked the door open and peered in. Nico was sprawled across the bed, one arm hanging off of the mattress. His tangle of black hair hid most of his face, and the blanket ensnared his limbs.

The blond chuckled and smiled at the sight. How cute, he thought as he closed the door again.

He walked back into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to see what he could have or make for breakfast. There was a carton of eggs, some fruit, and a bunch of other things, but they couldn't necessarily be eaten for breakfast. With a shrug, the blond pulled out the carton of eggs and turned on the stove.

He stuck some bread in the toaster as well, and then began to make himself some scrambled eggs. The storm in the background as well as the TV was almost soothing.

He finished making breakfast and sat down on the couch with it, flipping through channels as he stuffed his face with scrambled eggs and buttered toast. He went from watching the news, to a kids show, and then switched the channel again to a soap opera. There was just nothing good on at 7:30 in the morning.

At one point, Will just gave up and landed on a channel that was playing some cartoons. After finishing his breakfast, he cleaned up and went back into his room to change into a fresh pair of clothes. He would take a shower later.

Before he could reenter the living room however, Will heard the creaking of the guest room door opening. He looked over his shoulder to see Nico rubbing at his eyes like a little kid who just woke up from a nap. Will smiled.

"Good morning, sunshine!" He exclaimed and Nico glared at him. His jaw gaped in a yawn, and he crossed the threshold to head into the living room.

"There's nothing good about it," the dark haired boy mumbled as he flopped face down on the couch. Will chuckled.

"Aw, is someone still sleepy?" Nico only grunted in reply. The blond smothered his laughter with his hand over his mouth. He was too adorable.

"If you're hungry, I could make you some breakfast?" Will offered. "Or you can go back to sleep, it really doesn't matter. You must be tired still."

Nico turned his head so that one of his eyes was visible under his messy bangs. Dark circles emphasized the blue-black of his irises. "Well, I'm up, I may as well eat."

He sat up and leaned his elbows on his knees, cradling his face in his hands.

"How ya feeling today?" Will asked as he walked into the kitchen again. Nico didn't reply at first, but then Will heard him mumble a response.

"Sore. But...I feel alot better than last night...earlier this morning...whatever you wanna call it."

Will pulled out the carton of eggs from the fridge. "Well, that's good. How do scrambled eggs sound?"

"Pretty damn good. I'm starving." Nico pulled himself to his feet and sat down at the little table in the kitchen.

"Zeus sure is mad," Nico muttered under his breath. "Don't blame him though." Will was pretty sure that wasn't meant for him to hear, but he couldn't help but ask about it.

"Zeus? Like the god of the sky?" The blond asked without turning around to look at the fallen angel. Nico froze for a moment. Damn it, he had to learn to keep his mouth shut.

He sighed. "Yup. He's the one who threw me out, and he's throwing a hissy fit." At that moment, lighting lit up the entirety of the window Nico was next to, and thunder shook the little cabin. Will blinked up at the ceiling.

"Can he hear us?" The blond asked, but this time turned to look at the boy sitting at the table. Nico was looking at Will.

"Yeah. But he's been even angrier than this before. I'm just glad I don't have to be up there with him to face his wrath right now."

There was an undertone of longing in Nico's voice, Will could hear it clearly. He knew Nico wanted to be in heaven again so that he could be a proper guardian angel or whatever it was he did. To be thrown out by your own kind...

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Will said as he turned around and smiled at the dark haired boy. He placed a plate in front of Nico with scrambled eggs and toast. He handed the boy a fork, and Nico began picking at his food while Will fixed himself a cup of coffee.

"But why would he throw you out?" Will tried to pull it out of Nico. He was curious as to what happened. He sat across from the fallen angel, mug of coffee in hand. Nico looked straight into Will's blue eyes, a warning looking hardening his blue-black eyes.

"I told you, I'm not telling you...yet."

"But you will, right?"

"...Eventually."

After taking a few sips of his coffee, Will looked at Nico again. "Well, after you finish eating, I can redress your wounds, if you want me too."

"Yeah, the bandages around my chest kinda hurt," Nico mumbled around a mouthful of food. "I-I would appreciate it of you would change them."

Will smiled. "Sure, no problem."


	3. Chapter 3

After Nico had finished eating, Will pushed him in the direction of the bathroom where he had stuck the first aid kit. The angel pulled the hoodie and t-shirt over his head to reveal the bandages around his torso. He tore the bandaid off of his face and muttered a string of curses under his breath. Will rolled his eyes playfully.

"You don't just go ripping off bandaids, sunshine," Will said as he went to undo the bandages around the other boy's torso. Nico grumbled something again. The blond didn't say anything, just continued to focus on the task at hand. When the bandages were off, Will reached into the first aid kit for a roll of new bandages.

"We should probably wait just a few minutes before I rewrap that up for you," Will suggested. "Gotta let your skin breathe."

At this, Nico started to take the bandaids and bandages off from his arms and hands. Will watched in silence, biting his lip and studying the curve of the muscles in the boy's arms.

The fallen angel had turned to the side just a bit, and Will could see the tufts of feathers that poked out of his back, just next to his shoulder blades. They were pitch black. Will looked to Nico's face.

"Do all fallen angel's wings turn black?" He murmured as Nico turned to face the boy opposite him. His face looked hard but his eyes looked tired and sad.

"Yeah," He replied, his voice cracking. "I've only seen it happen once before. He was maybe a year or two older than us. His name was Ethan. He went behind everyone's backs and was working with Hell. For what reason, I don't know. Ethan was cast out of Heaven not too long after Zeus had found out. I watched as he fell, and soon, he had been lost in the clouds. Nowhere to be seen."

Nico cast his eyes down, avoiding direct eye contact with Will. The blond sighed. "And you think you're lumped in with him because you fell, right?"

The raven haired boy snapped his head up to look at him. His blue-black eyes glistened and he cast his eyes away again.

"Of course I'm like him, Will. We were both cast out, we both fell because we went against what we were supposed to do," Nico muttered darkly.

Will suddenly grabbed ahold of the boy's shoulders, and Nico faced him, bewilderment in his eyes.

"Nico," Will started in a shaking whisper. "You are nothing like him. He went behind his companions' back to work for the bad guys, and he got what he deserved. You, on the other hand, we're being controlled by those above you. Nobody can tell you who you can and cannot fall in love with; it's just not right."

The dark haired boy roughly shook out of Will's grip, causing him to nearly fall over. He grabbed the counter to steady himself. "What's not right is that I fell in love with a mortal-a mortal man, no less-who was in a happy, healthy relationship with someone else. That's what's not right."

Nico's breathing had picked up, and he was becoming red in the face with anger and embarrassment. Before he could bolt out of the bathroom, Will firmly grasped his wrist. Nico seethed, trying to shake him off, but Will wouldn't let go.

"You're upset because you were in love with another man, right? Not just because he was already in a relationship, but because he was a guy, too." Will stood up, letting go of Nico's wrist. The blond could feel his own heart race in his chest as he pulled the fallen angel into an embrace, careful to avoid touching the tufts of feathers on his back.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Will whispered to Nico. He was shuddering and silently sobbing against the blond's chest. "No one should ever tell you who to love, it's none of their business, alright?"

Nico only responded by making a noise while inhaling deeply. His thin frame shook against Will's, and Will stood there rubbing soothing circles into the boy's bare back. His fingertips tingled at the touch, but Nico didn't shy away from it. The blond carded his fingers through Nico's dark locks.

After maybe fifteen minutes of standing like this, Nico pushed away from Will, wiping at his eyes vehemently. "J-just fix m-me up already, okay?"

For a moment, Will wasn't sure what he meant by that, but remembered that he had to reapply bandages to the other boy. Blushing, Will sat back down on the edge of the bathtub and started to wrap the bandages carefully around Nico's torso.

Once he was finished, he helped the dark haired boy put bandaids on the little scratches on his arms and hands. When that was done, Nico snatched the t-shirt and hoodie he had been wearing beforehand, but he didn't put them back on. Instead, he left wordlessly. Confused, Will quickly packed up the first aid kit and slid it next to the counter. He heard the back door close, and Will groaned. it was still raining outside, what the hell was he thinking?

Will grabbed a sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers from his room and ran outside. "Nico, what are you-"

The one stopped midsentence and stared in awe. Nico's wings had sprouted from his back, and they glistened in the overcast light and the rain. The fallen angel spread them as much as was comfortably possible and let them fold in towards his body. He turned to face Will (who had been staring, as much as he hates to admit), and the blond blushed. Hesitantly, Will walked up to him.

"So," Will started awkwardly. "A-after you heal up fully, you're going to leave, aren't you?"

Nico looked up at him through the bangs that were now plastered to his forehead. Then he looked down, half of a smile on his lips. "You know? I don't think I could even if I wanted to."

At this, Nico's face flushed red, and he got on his tip toes to press a light kiss on Will's cheek. The blond blinked stupidly, as he looked down at Nico. The fallen angel wouldn't meet his gaze. Will sighed through his nose, gently grabbed the sides of Nico's face, and leaned over to press a kiss to the fallen angel's lips.

His lips were stiff against Will's for a fraction of a moment, but after that Nico melted into him and returned the kiss.

Nico pulled away from Will, but pressed his wet forehead to the blond's. The dark haired boy looked into his bright blue eyes.

"I'm all yours," Will whispered to him.

And Nico, for the first time in what seemed like forever, felt content.


End file.
